Did you buy a Leica only to find that the shutter was not as quiet as the hype?

Over 100 posts on this subject. So, let's get scientific about it shall we? There have been a number of different cameras discussed, so many that we can begin to develop a rating system that is both fairly scientific (our ears) and true to our passion for gear (our hearts).

I propose the following simple rating scale for Rangefinders. One can add to the list for SLR's.:p

0 - Silent
1 - Kiss (as from a loved one)
2 - Clop
3 - Clank
 
dave lackey said:
Over 100 posts on this subject. So, let's get scientific about it shall we? There have been a number of different cameras discussed, so many that we can begin to develop a rating system that is both fairly scientific (our ears) and true to our passion for gear (our hearts).

I propose the following simple rating scale for Rangefinders. One can add to the list for SLR's.:p

0 - Silent
1 - Kiss (as from a loved one)
2 - Clop
3 - Clank
Click to expand...

Let's have a thread on Clankers, followed by a thread on Cloppers, and then for Kissers and lastly for the Silent ones.:D
 
i once measured the sound coming from an m3 and a zeiss ikon...measured with a sound pressure level meter (from my home theatre set up)...
the db level was the same for both...but the zi seemed much louder to my ear based on the nature of the sound, it was a very metallic sound compared to the 'snick' of the m3.
 
There are also "clackers" like the Fuji GS670 cameras, with leaf shutters. Apparently it is an exposure counter that is guilty.

My 2 M2's sound very different even though they were both recently CLA'ed by the same person. One is a soft "snick" the other, a louder "click". But even the loudest one is way quieter than the "clatter" of the Bessa R's I have owned.
 
Wow, attachment of human qualities to gear is amazing. We now have the silent people, the lovers, the cloppers and the clankers. At my age, I am now a clanker but my camera is my lover?:p
 
I don't think I ever heard that the shutter was silent- only that it didn't have the clack of a slr mirror. I had a Canonet QL17giii before I had my Leica and it was damn quiet! Just a little "click" that was barely audible until you went down to the slower speeds when you can differentiate between opening and closing.

Like some people have said before- it's all about sound quality. I've fired my M4 around other photographers who haven't heard a Leica and respond with "that sounds so nice." When you're used to working as a photojournalist and hearing the CLACKCLACKCLACK of an SLR in drive mode, the simple *shhkt* sound is truly appreciated.
 
Compared to the "whomp" from my Bronica the M's are near silent.

Bob
 
I have the compact LX5 and a Canon 7D. My Leica M8.2 is only slightly lower in volume than the 7D. the LX5 is virtually silent of course.
 
I still believe the most impressive shutter sound I've heard is from my Hasselblad 500cm ... forget the volume ... the whoosh from the mirror is something else!
 
FrankS said:
Keith, isn't the Pentax 67 more impressive in shutter/mirror sound?
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The Pentax seems to have a violence to it that the Hassy lacks ... the Hassy makes a fairly similar sound but it seems a lot more muffled.

The first time you fire the shutter of a P67 in front of someone it's amusing to watch their reaction ... it definitely makes their eyes widen.

I seriously wonder if there is anything louder?
 
I look at this thread, in which I have myself participated, and think: "What photography nerds we are." haha We're talking about sounds emanating of the shutters of cameras and which camera produces the loudest clicks.
 
:D Gotta give these old boys something to talk about late at night.

btw just to clarify with some people, I don't actually care about how much noise a camera makes. My only reason for this is that before buying a Leica I read over and over again how quiet it was. After playing with a few Leica's, then getting my own... well I was like "meh, they're not actually 'that' quiet."

Hassy's are nice! So are the Rollei SL66's "PLOP!" sounds.
 
I shot with the Hexar AF in silent mode during a video interview shoot, and it was utterly inaudible. Even so, I only shot when the interviewer was asking questions. However, at one point, I accidentally took the last shot of the roll, and the Hexar started rewinding. To be safe, I put it in a lightweight bag (think canvas tote) while it was rewinding, and no one was the wiser. I never once got a dirty look from the sound guy.

But most of the time, I agree that it's just not a big deal. I don't take surreptitious photos, but it is nice to shoot in a social situation without making a racket.
 
My M2 is almost too quiet. I sometimes take it away from my eye and wonder if the shutter fired, which can be a distraction to me... personally, I like the way my original M8 sounds. Kind of like an old adding machine, ka'clak bzzzt. But in the end who cares as long as the photos look like you want them to.
 
Neare said:
:D Gotta give these old boys something to talk about late at night.

btw just to clarify with some people, I don't actually care about how much noise a camera makes. My only reason for this is that before buying a Leica I read over and over again how quiet it was. After playing with a few Leica's, then getting my own... well I was like "meh, they're not actually 'that' quiet."
Click to expand...

Never believe anything you read on the internet!!!
 
It is indeed an internet phenomenon, based (I suspect) on perceptions of 30 and more years ago being re-read by people who weren't familiar with the SLRs of 30+ years ago.

I must first have heard Leicas in the mid-to-late 60s and the perception then was that they were quiet, but far from silent, with a fairly unobtrusive noise. I've had LOTS of quieter cameras -- the quietest ever, I think, was an Ilford Advocate -- but I've also had LOTS that were more noisy, including, as far as I recall, every other interchangeable-lens RF I've ever handled (which is most of them, including even rarities like the Hensoldt and the Ilford Witness). Even leaf shutters aren't always quieter than Leicas: some make a sort of KER-CHING like an old-fashioned cash register.

Cheers,

R.
 
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